Is post office parking lot a prohibited place?

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old lady new shooter

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If my guns are locked up in my trunk, is it legal to stop at the post office (and park in their lot) on my way to the range?
 
If it is a stand alone place, no it is not. If it is a place inside a shopping center, yes it is. Is anyone going to see your gun either way? No, they are not. Go according to your own sense of right and wrong
 
Thanks everybody. :)

Being new here I have only been to the post office once, not sure if the other nearby buildings are private business establishments. Meanwhile my schedule got changed around anyway so I will do the post office together with a different errand (which will also give me a chance to pay attention to the PO's surroundings) and the range visit will be a separate trip.
 
mljdeckard said:
On the rare occasions I find it necessary to use a post office, I go to one that has a counter inside a grocery store. Behind the desk is federal property. In front of it is not.
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I was wondering about this. The closest post office to me is in a gas station store. There are no signs prohibiting firearms.
 
railroader said:
I was wondering about this. The closest post office to me is in a gas station store. There are no signs prohibiting firearms.
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I don't see any signs prohibiting firearms at any post office I've been in. I do see signs advising me not to engage in armed robbery but I already knew that :)
 
I don't know if Ohio is unique in this regard, but state law turns post office carry into a felony.

(B) A valid concealed handgun license does not authorize the licensee to carry a concealed handgun in any manner prohibited under division (B) of section 2923.12 of the Revised Code or in any manner prohibited under section 2923.16 of the Revised Code. A valid license does not authorize the licensee to carry a concealed handgun into any of the following places:
...
(8) A place in which federal law prohibits the carrying of handguns.
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Frank Ettin said:
Whether you see signs or not, USPS regulations in general prohibit firearms on post office property.
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My regular post office is posted no guns and the other post office is in a store where the postal part is behind a counter. This store sells beer and wine along with other convience store stuff. So is it legal to go into the store carrying? I'm in Arizona if it matters where all carry is legal normally. Sorry if I'm kind of asking the same question again.
 
Frank Ettin said:
Whether you see signs or not, USPS regulations in general prohibit firearms on post office property.
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I was referring to signs being posted which the poster I quoted said were not present at his grocery store post office, not if it's prohibited or allowed. The only firearm I ever enter the post office with is a packaged long gun I'm shipping to a licensed gun dealer, including gunsmiths, I park across the street and leave my handgun in a car vault.
 
RETG said:
You read, you decide!

39 CFR 232.1 - Conduct on postal property
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So where does the postal property start and end at the market post office (contract postal unit)? Is it the postal counter? Is it the driveway when you pull in to get gas? Is it the door of the store? I mean technically if it all is post office property then you can't be carrying if you are just getting gas outside?
 
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railroader said:
So where does the postal property start and end at the market post office (contract postal unit)? Is it the postal counter? Is it the driveway when you pull in to get gas? Is it the door of the store? I mean technically if it all is post office property then you can't be carrying if you are just getting gas outside?
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It appears probable that there is no postal property at a Contract Postal Unit.

39 CFR § 232.1 Conduct on postal property.
(a) Applicability. This section applies to all real property under the charge and control of the Postal Service ...

Contract Postal Units
A Contract Postal Unit (CPU) is a supplier-owned or supplier-leased site operated by the supplier, under contract to the Postal Service™ to provide postal products and services to the public at U.S. Postal Service prices.
The CPU Supplier must meet the following criteria set forth by the United States Postal Service:
Supplier’s space cannot be owned or leased by the U.S. Postal Service
 
herrwalther said:
10th US Circuit of appeals says no.

Full Text
https://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/opinions/13/13-1374.pdf

(Reuters) - A federal appeals court said a U.S. Postal Service regulation banning firearms on postal property is constitutional, and reversed a lower court ruling that would have let people keep weapons inside their vehicles in post office parking lots.

https://www.reuters.com/article/usa...-says-u-s-appeals-court-idUSL1N0ZC2QF20150626
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I wonder where it's made clear that it is legal to have an unloaded long gun, boxed and ready to ship, on postal property? The referenced articles use the word "firearm" which of course includes long guns.
 
bikemutt said:
I wonder where it's made clear that it is legal to have an unloaded long gun, boxed and ready to ship, on postal property? The referenced articles use the word "firearm" which of course includes long guns.
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The ATF

A nonlicensee may not transfer a firearm to a non-licensed resident of another State. A nonlicensee may mail a shotgun or rifle to a resident of his or her own State or to a licensee in any State. The Postal Service recommends that long guns be sent by registered mail and that no marking of any kind which would indicate the nature of the contents be placed on the outside of any parcel containing firearms. Handguns are not mailable. A common or contract carrier must be used to ship a handgun.

[18 U.S.C. 1715, 922(a)(5) and 922 (a)(2)(A); 27 CFR 478.31]


https://www.atf.gov/firearms/qa/may-nonlicensee-ship-firearm-through-us-postal-service
 
My belief from reading about this in the past is that it the post office parking lot is federal property and the 2nd Amendment is not applicable. That is, forbidden. Although, in National Parks, firearms are allowed in the parks, just not in the ranger stations or in buildings operated by federal agents or staff. Therefore, being federal property alone I guess isn't always a cut and dry law. Maybe, one must look up the policy of parking lots of federal property.
 
herrwalther said:
The ATF

A nonlicensee may mail a shotgun or rifle to a resident of his or her own State or to a licensee in any State.
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Yes, that says its legal to mail a long gun, but that wasn't the previous poster's question. The postal regs say you can't have a firearm on USPS property. So, how do you get it to the counter to mail, if the act of walking in the door with it is illegal?
 
It isn't illegal to bring in a package with a gun to mail. It is the carrying of a gun on your person that is illegal
 
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